By prompting the release of a wide variety of biochemicals in the body and brain, [Dr. Scheer] suggested, exercise almost certainly affects the body’s internal clock mechanisms and therefore its circadian rhythms, especially those related to activity. Exercise seems to make the body better able to judge when and how much more it should be moving and when it should be at rest.

Though this study was short-term and didn’t involve humans, it still suggests that exercise can help us maintain a purposeful rhythm throughout our lives.